GST rejig: Washing machines, hair dryers to get cheaper

Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday announced massive rate cuts on a number of commodities under the Goods and Services Tax (GST), effective July 27.

Addressing the media after chairing the 28th GST Council meeting here, the Finance Minister said that sanitary napkins, among several other products, have been exempted from GST.

Among those items exempted from GST are sanitary pads, deities made of stone, marbles or wood, Rakhis without any precious metals like gold, silver, raw material used in brooms, Saal leaves and fortified milk.

Supply of services by an old age home has also been exempted from GST.

GST on a number of commodities has been slashed from 28 per cent to 18 per cent: These include

-Refrigerators

-Water Heaters

-Washing Machines

-Televisions (up to 68 cm)

-Vacuum Cleaners

-Paints

- Hair Shavers

- Hair Curlers

- Hair Dryers

- Scent Sprays

- Lithium-ion batteries

Those commodities that will see a rate cut from 18 to 12 per cent include:

- Handbags including pouches and purses; jewellery box

- Wooden frames for painting, photographs, mirrors etc

- Ornamental framed mirrors

- Brass Kerosene Pressure Stove

- Art ware of iron

The following commodities will now be sold at a GST of 5 per cent:

- Ethanol

- Solid biofuel pellets

- Handmade carpets and other handmade textile floor coverings (including namda/gabba)

- Hand-made braids and ornamental trimming in the piece

Apart from the change in taxes on commodities, Goyal announced a slew of measures to simplify tax filing.

Taxpayers who are yet to register under the GST have been given a final extension till August 31.

Goyal also noted that apart from revenue collection, the GST Council will now focus on job creation as well.

Earlier, the council had revised tax rates on 29 items in January. The biggest rate rationalisation decision was taken by the council in November 2017 when over 200 items were brought in to lower tax brackets from 28 per cent, 18 per cent, and 12 per cent.

The GST Council will next hold a meeting on August 4, exclusively catering to the needs of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.